Highlights from the second half of 2012 in Bloomfield

Naomi Johnson of Montclair kneels to look at a photo and flowers placed in her son Deshon's memory, during a protest on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the scene of the accident. Friends and family of Deshon Johnson, who was killed by a NJ Transit bus on July 18, held a protest at the accident scene, Bay Avenue near Broad Street in Bloomfield.

Here’s a look at what happened in Bloomfield during the second half of 2012. Last week’s edition included a look at the first half of the year.

July

* At a special conference meeting July 2, the council accepted the resignation of Township Administrator Yoshi Manale. Manale told Bloomfield Life at the time that he was forced out of his job. A source told the newspaper at least five of the seven council members wanted Manale gone.

* Authorities identified an East Orange man who allegedly led police on a chase on the Garden State Parkway from Paramus that ended in on Bay Avenue. Police from several agencies arrested Anthony White after a short chase. An unidentified Bloomfield man, driving another vehicle, was injured and transported to the hospital.

* With Hartz Mountain preparing to leave Bloomfield, the site’s prime location on Bloomfield Avenue is an ideal spot for a "hybrid" mixed-se development, a planner said at a July Planning Board meeting. A proposed plan floated resembles a traditional mixed-used with business on the bottom and housing on the top, but this project calls for business up front along with residential housing behind. There are no immediate plans for the land.

* Deshon Johnson routinely walked 20 minutes from his Montclair home to the bus stop on Bay Avenue in Bloomfield to get to his job at the Home Depot. The 22-year-old man was struck and killed July 18 by an NJ Transit bus operated by a private carrier, authorities and NJ Transit said. Friends and family held a protest at the location a month later to find eyewitnesses and voice displeasure about the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office handling of the case.

August

* A group of Nutley and Bloomfield athletes and coaches volunteered their time and muscle to help rebuild tornado-damaged Tuscaloosa, Ala. The five-day, six-night trip included Bloomfield High School assistant football coach Enyinna Ibehand and athlete Justin Corio. The trip was run through the Nutley Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

* In an ongoing saga, Bloomfield residents Jeff and Diana Coltenback began their public battle to adopt a pit bull named Memphis. Memphis was deemed unadoptable by the staff earlier in the year at the township’s John A. Bukowski Shelter for Animals and the couple took him home for a week for some rehabilitation. The township then asked for the dog back after accusing the couple of violating a contract by having him near children. The Coltenbacks have denied ever putting anyone in danger. The dog is currently in South Dakota but an agreement is now in place that the couple will get the dog back eventually.

* Bloomfield police credited a courier in helping them locate a woman who allegedly robbed a bank. Resident Michelle D. Collier was accused of robbing the Provident Bank Aug. 3 and Sovereign Bank on Aug. 10, according to Sgt. Anthony Servedio. When she allegedly robbed the first bank, she wore a hot pink "I Love Hollister" T-shirt.

* Officials ordered New Jersey shop owners to remove an alcoholic malt beverage from their shelves by Sept. 1, saying that it is both unlicensed for sale in the state and often sold alongside soft drinks commonly bought by children and other patrons who might not know it’s intoxicating. Bottles of Extracto de Malta, which is marketed to Latino consumers, have been sold in small neighborhood stores across New Jersey. Nelson A. Fernandez of Bloomfield, owner of Condal Distributors of the Bronx — described by officials as the importer of the product — and one of his salesman, Elbio A. Fanas of Yonkers, N.Y., have been charged with selling an alcoholic beverage without a license, a fourth-degree crime.

September

* Officials were at odds over Bloomfield Fire Department staffing. Councilman Michael Venezia said he wants to look into how the department is being managed. Venezia said there are too many fire captains for the number of firefighters. The department has four shifts comprised of four fire engines and a ladder truck. Each piece of equipment needs a supervisor manning it during all shifts, meaning 20 captains are needed, said Fire Chief Joseph McCarthy. Another captain acts as the training officer and does not man a truck.

* Bloomfield schools declined enrollment to 46 high school students for not properly re-registering for classes. This fall, the district required all BHS students to re-register, placing an emphasis on proof-of-residency. Some of the students didn't show up for school, while others showed up without proper documentation, school officials said. Those in school can stay an additional 21 days during the appeal process. It was unclear how many were being kicked out specifically for not proving residency.

* The community rallied around infant Colin Michael Jones, who survived more in his short nine months than many adults do in a lifetime. But sadly, his trials and tribulations have left his young brain very damaged. The child's health is stable for the time being, but the road to recovery for Colin may never end and his parents, Suzanne and Bill, are accumulating a fast-growing list of medical expenses that have not entirely been offset by insurance. Fundraisers have been held in his name since.

* Bloomfield High School student Christina D. Lembo, 16, was pronounced dead after a car accident on Broughton Avenue and Walter Street. She was the daughter of Theresa Trapp Lembo and the late Anthony Lembo Sr., sister of Anthony Jr. and Joseph, all of Bloomfield. According to authorities, the crash occurred Saturday, Sept. 29 on Broughton Avenue in Bloomfield between a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro and a 2007 Honda Civic. She was a backseat passenger in the Honda. Lembo was taken to University Hospital in Newark but died a short time later, authorities said. Details on the injuries suffered by the four other people have not been disclosed, but authorities said none of those injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

October

* A 16-year-old boy was shot during an attempted robbery in Bloomfield on Sept. 29, which police only confirmed four days later. At 12:03 a.m., police received a 911 call from the victim, who said he was shot on Hoover Avenue near Pilgrim Court, according to a report from Sgt. Anthony Servedio. Officers found the victim lying on the ground with a wound to his abdomen.

* In a 6-to-3 vote, the Bloomfield Planning Board approved a 332-unit rental development at 225 Belleville Ave. Under consideration since March, the project comprises three four-story buildings on 12.5 acres. It will have 80 one-bedroom units and 252 two-bedroom units. Units will be priced between $1,350 and $1,820 a month, witnesses testified. There would be parking for 654, under the buildings and off to the sides. The single-lane bridge crossing the Third River, now used to enter the property, will be turned into a pedestrian walkway. A two-lane bridge will be built next to the walkway to accommodate cars.

* Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Bloomfield Police Chief Christopher Goul announced Oct. 11 that Nicholas M. Camasco, 23, of Bloomfield was charged with vehicular homicide and aggravated assault by auto, in connection with the collision that killed Christina Lembo, 16, also of Bloomfield. Camasco turned himself in; Judge Peter J. Vazquez set bail at $100,000.

* PSE&G reported more than 10,000 customers are in the dark in Bloomfield following Hurricane Sandy. But patience was already at a breaking point. During a conference call with the power company and municipal governments, Mayor Raymond McCarthy lost his cool with an unnamed PSE&G representative. "You can’t help us? To make that statement is absolutely absurd. You should be fired tonight."